Forrester Research, Inc.

, 60 Acorn Park Drive, Cambridge, MA 02140 USA

Tel: +1 617.613.6000 | Fax: +1 617.613.5000 | www.forrester.com
The Forrester Wave: B2B Commerce
Suites, Q4 2013
by Peter Sheldon and Andy Hoar, October 7, 2013
For: eBusiness &
Channel Strategy
Professionals

KEYTAKEAWAYS
B2BCommerceVendorsDontJustProvideBasicFunctionality;They
EnhanceCommerceCapabilities
TodaysdynamicmarketplaceisdrivingB2BeBusinessprofessionalstolookatalternatives
topointsolutionsandnichevendors.Playersinthemarkettodayoferintegrated
technologystacks,feature-richAPIs,andend-to-endeCommercecapabilitiesaimedat
servingdiversecustomersegmentsbothbrowsingandbuyingacrossmultipletouchpoints.
TheB2BCommerceSuiteMarketIsGrowingAseBusinessProfessionals
LookForPartnersInTheProcess
TeB2Bcommercesuitemarketisexpanding;moreeBusinessprofessionalssee
eCommerceasawaytoaddresskeystrategicbusinesschallenges.TodayseBusiness
professionalsarelookingtoB2Bcommercesuitevendorstobestrategicpartnersthat
canbeinvolvedinallaspectsofacquiring,servicing,andretainingonlineandofine
B2Bcustomers.
B2B-SpecicFeatureSetsAndBack-EndToolsAreDifferentiatorsInThe
B2BCommerceSuitesMarket
Aslegacytechnologybecomesoutdatedandlessefective,improvedB2B-specifc
featuresandback-endtoolsdictatewhichprovidersleadthepack.Vendorsthatprovide
complexpricingandcustomizationcapabilitiesalongwithstrongOMS,WCM,and
PCMfunctionalitywillcontinuetopositionthemselvesastheleadersinthespace.
2013, Forrester Research, Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited. Information is based on best available
resources. Opinions refect judgment at the time and are subject to change. Forrester

, Technographics

, Forrester Wave, RoleView, TechRadar,

and Total Economic Impact are trademarks of Forrester Research, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies. To
purchase reprints of this document, please email clientsupport@forrester.com. For additional information, go to www.forrester.com.

FOREBUSINESS&CHANNELSTRATEGYPROFESSIONALS OCTOBER7,2013
TheForresterWave:B2BCommerceSuites,Q42013
TheBigThreeLeadThePack,ButSeveralEmergingPlayersTrailCloselyBehind
byPeterSheldonandAndyHoar
withZiaDaniellWigderandLilyVaron
WHYREADTHISREPORT
InForresters66-criteriaevaluationofB2Bcommercesuitevendors,weidentifedthesevenmost
signifcantprovidersinthecategorycommerceserver.net,hybris(anSAPcompany),IBM,Insite
Sofware,Intershop,NetSuite,andOracleCommerceandresearched,analyzed,andscoredthemin
threeareas:currentofering,strategy,andmarketpresence.Tisreportdetailsourfndingsabouthow
welleachvendorfulfllsourcriteriaandwheretheystandinrelationtoeachothertohelpeBusinessand
channelstrategyprofessionalsselecttherightpartnerfortheirB2Bmultichannelcommercesolution.
TableOfContents
2 CompaniesMustDeliverTheB2C-Like
ExperienceB2BCustomersDemand
OpportunityHasDrivenAcquisitionsAnd
AttractedNewEntrantsIntoTheB2BSpace
6 B2BCommerceSuiteEvaluationOverview
HowOurEvaluationsOfB2BCommerceSuites
DifferFromB2C
OurEvaluationCoversARangeOfSolution
TypesFromLicensedToSaaS
HowTheCriteriaAreOrganized
VendorSelectionCriteria
11 TheResults:TheBigThreeLeadThePack,
WithOthersCloseBehind
15 VendorProles
Leaders
StrongPerformers
Contenders
18 SupplementalMaterial
Notes&Resources
Forresterconductedlab-basedevaluations
inApril2013andinterviewedsevenvendor
companies:commerceserver.net,hybris
(anSAPcompany),IBM,InsiteSoftware,
Intershop,NetSuite,andOracleCommerce.
RelatedResearchDocuments
CommerceTechnologyInvestmentAnd
PlatformTrends2013
July25,2013
BuildingAWorld-ClassB2BeCommerce
Business
January7,2013
TheForresterWave:B2CCommerce
Suites,Q32012
September24,2012
FOR EBUSINESS & CHANNEL STRATEGY PROFESSIONALS
The Forrester Wave: B2B Commerce Suites, Q4 2013 2
2013, Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited October 7, 2013

COMPANIESMUSTDELIVERTHEB2C-LIKEEXPERIENCEB2BCUSTOMERS
DEMAND
Bytheendof2013,B2BeCommerceintheUSalonewillbea$559billionmarket(seeFigure
1-1).Butdespitebeingovertwicethesizeofthe$252billionUSB2CeCommercemarket,theB2B
eCommercemarketisfarlessmature.Infact,mostB2BeCommercecompaniestrailfarbehindthe
averageB2CeCommercecompanyintermsoftherobustnessoftheonlineexperiencetheyofer
(seeFigure1-2).
However,B2BeCommercecompaniesarenowinvestingsignifcantresourcestoclosethegap.
Forresterhasobservedovertheyearsthatcompaniesspend,onaverage,about4%ofonlinerevenue
oneCommercetechnologyinfrastructure.
1
Infact,inarecentquarterlyForrestersurveyofB2B
eCommerceexecutives,ForresterfoundthatthemeantechnologyspendingofB2Bcompanies
(inclusiveofapplicenses,fees,andresources)totaled4.6%ofonlinerevenue.
2
NotonlyareB2B
customersdemandingaworld-classexperience,butvendorpartnersarealsoforcingcompaniesto
upgradetheirtechnologyandsystemsacrossabroadecosystem.Whethertheyarejustbeginningto
sellonlineorareinthelatestagesoflaunchinganext-generationsite,B2BeCommerceoperations
todaymust:
Ofer a customer experience standard comparable to what leading B2C sites now ofer.
WefrequentlyhearfromourB2BclientsthattheywanttheireCommercesuitestodeliver
thegold-standardAmazonexperience.Todeliveronthat,todaysB2BeCommercesuites
mustincludefront-ofcecontent,community,andcommercefeaturesthatmeetcustomer
expectationsfor24x7x365ordering,real-timecustomerservice,andexpeditedshipping
bothonlineandonmobiledevices.Inaddition,todaysB2BeCommercesuitesmustinclude
robustback-ofcefunctionalitythatstreamlinestraditionallypainfulbutnecessaryintraand
inter-systemsconnectionsandcomplexorderorchestrationandfulfllmentworkfows.Suites
mustcomeintegration-readyandmakeitrelativelyeasytointerfacewithreal-timepricing
andinventoryinformation.
Address the growing infuence that mobile devices are having in the workplace.Cisco
estimatesthatby2016,mobiletrafcwillrepresent26%ofallbusinessInternettrafcup
fromamere4%in2011.
3
Asrecentlyasafewyearsago,B2Bcompaniescouldstaggertheir
onlineandmobiledevelopmenttacklingtheformerfrstandthelattersecond.Buttheworld
haschanged.B2Bcompaniesmustnowimplementonline,tablet,andmobilestrategiesin
parallel.Keytodeliveringonthatchallenge,though,ishiringstafwithdeepmobileexperience
andimplementingmobile-frstprocessesandproceduresupfrontandquickly.Inaddition,a
dualimplementationofonlineandmobilestrategyputssignifcantpressureontechnology
vendorstobolsterresponsivedesigncapabilitiesandenhancemultiplatformsmartphoneand
tabletsupport.
FOR EBUSINESS & CHANNEL STRATEGY PROFESSIONALS
The Forrester Wave: B2B Commerce Suites, Q4 2013 3
2013, Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited October 7, 2013
Make a qualitative and quantitative business case that drives sustained investment.Ina
recentsurveyofglobalB2BeCommerceexecutives,Forresterfoundthattheofinecustomers
thatcompaniesmigratetoanonlinepurchaseenvironmentonnetspendmoremoneyper
transactionandmoremoneyoverallpost-migration(seeFigure2-1).Tesameresearchalso
showsthatcustomersarelessexpensivetosupportoncetheymigrateonline(seeFigure2-2).
Inaddition,ForrestersresearchindicatesthatB2BcompaniesarenowleveragingeCommerce
modelstoattractandserviceanewclassofcustomerswhoareonlyproftabletothemas
online-onlycustomers(seeFigure2-3).SuchROIargumentsareenablingB2Bcompanies
todemonstratethateCommerceismorethanjustanewchannel.FormanyB2Bcompanies,
eCommercehasbecomeawaytotransformaslow-growthofinebusinessintoahigh-growth
onlineandmultichannelenterprisedeservingofaseriousandsignifcantinvestmentoftime,
money,andmindshare.
FOR EBUSINESS & CHANNEL STRATEGY PROFESSIONALS
The Forrester Wave: B2B Commerce Suites, Q4 2013
2013, Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited October 7, 2013


4
1-2
1-1
Figure 1B2BeCommerceIsGrowingQuickly
B2BonlinerevenueintheUSalreadydwarfsthatofB2C
Forecastedrevenuein2013
B2B
($559B)
B2C
($252B)
Source: Forrester Research Online Retail Forecast, 2011 To 2016 (US); October 18, 2012, Key Trends In B2B
eCommerce For 2013 Forrester report
MostB2BcompaniesarejustgettingstartedwitheCommerce
Maturity
V
o
l
u
m
e

o
f

c
o
m
p
a
n
i
e
s
i
n

t
h
i
s

c
a
t
e
g
o
r
y

Greenhorns Apprentices Practitioners Role Models
B2B eCommerce
maturity
Practitioners are building out
scalable organizations and
platforms.
Role Models are rare and mostly
aspirational in todays B2B
eCommerce environment.
<2 years 2-5 years 5-10 years 10+ years Time online
Greenhorns are
just starting out.
Apprentices are deciding how
much and how quickly to invest
in B2B eCommerce.
Source: June 21, 2012, Evaluating Your B2B eCommerce Development Forrester report
Source: Forrester Research, Inc. 90821
FOR EBUSINESS & CHANNEL STRATEGY PROFESSIONALS
The Forrester Wave: B2B Commerce Suites, Q4 2013 5
2013, Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited October 7, 2013
Figure 2TeBeneftsOfSupportingB2BCustomersInASelf-ServiceOnlineEnvironment
2-2 2-1 B2B customers that migrate to online Migration of customers to self-service B2B
purchasing tools spend more per transaction channels reduces support costs
By migrating customers to your eCommerce By migrating customers to an eCommerce
portal to purchase your products, the average portal to purchase their products . . .
order value (AOV) youve seen on those our customer support costs have:
purchases has:
Increased
9%
Dontknow
9%
Dontknow
20%
Stayed
Increased
thesame
44%
30%
Stayedthe
same
24%
Decreased
Decreased
52%
11%
Base:45B2BeCommerceprofessionals Base:45B2BeCommerceprofessionals
(percentagesdonottotal100becauseofrounding)
Many B2B customers are only proftable through an online channel 2-3
We have customers that we can only proftably support in an
online self-serve product purchase environment.
Agree 56%
Disagree 24%
Base:45B2BeCommerceprofessionals
Source:Q12013GlobalB2BeCommercePortalOnlineSurvey
90821 Source:ForresterResearch,Inc.
OpportunityHasDrivenAcquisitionsAndAttractedNewEntrantsIntoTheB2BSpace
Poisedtocrossthe50%oftotalsalesonlinebarrierwithinthenextfewyears,manyB2Bcompanies
areintheprocessoffippingtheirmodelsandcreatingfundamentallydiferentbusinessesthat
requirefundamentallydiferenttechnologies.TisdesireonthepartofB2Bcompaniesfornewand
bettertechnologiestoenablerobustcustomerexperiences,scalableonlineandmultichannelselling,
anddeepintegrationswithcriticalfront-andback-ofcesystemshasdriventechnologyvendorsto
raisetheirgame.
FOR EBUSINESS & CHANNEL STRATEGY PROFESSIONALS
The Forrester Wave: B2B Commerce Suites, Q4 2013 6
2013, Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited October 7, 2013

Todeliveronthenecessaryfeaturesandfunctionsandoferamorecompletestack,vendors
havepartneredwithbest-of-breedsolutionsprovidersorsimplyacquiredkeytechnologies.In
June2013,SAPacquiredhybristoreplaceitslacklusterWebChannelExperienceManagement
(WCEM)product.
4
Inrecentyears,OracleacquiredArtTechnologyGroup(ATG),Endeca,and
FatWireSofwaretopatchholesinitsstack.
5
Similarly,IBMacquiredbothSterlingCommerceand
CoremetricsinthelastdecadetobolsteritsbroadereCommerceofering.
Buttherelevantacquisitionactivityhasnotbeenlimitedtojustthevendorcommunity.Forexample,
inMay2013,AccentureannounceditsintentiontobuyB2B-focuseddigitalmarketingcompany
AcquityGroup.
6
InasignthatrealignmentwillafectthebroadereCommercesolutionsecosystem,
SAP/hybrisandAccenture/AcquityannouncedinAugust2013thattheyarejoiningforcestoform
anexclusiveglobalstrategicpartnershipaimedatdeliveringonlineandmultichannelcommerce.
7
Further,injustthelast18months,AmazonenteredtheB2BeCommercespacewithpurpose-
builtsiteAmazonSupply.Amazonconcludedthattherewassignifcantopportunitytoleverageits
globalfulfllmentinfrastructuretodeliverB2Bstaplessuchaspowerdrillsandpumpsaseasilyasit
deliversbooksandtoys.AmazonSupplyexpectstoapplyAmazonssuccessfulvolume-driven,razor-
thin-marginbusinessmodelandstealshareawayfromtraditionaldistributorsthatfailtorespond
efectivelytopricecompetition.
Nottobeoutdone,GooglealsostudieditsplaceintheB2Bbuyingprocessandlearnedthatwhileit
maintainsanimpressive67%marketshareinthegeneralsearchspace,itenjoysfully90%market
sharewithintheB2Bsearcharena.
8
Asaresult,itlaunchedGoogleShoppingforSuppliersasatop-of-
the-funneloferingaimedatdirectingqualifedB2BeCommercetrafctoGoogle-authorizedB2B
manufacturersanddistributors.
9
Importantly,andunlikeAmazonSupply,GoogleShoppingfor
SuppliersoperatesasareferralsiteanddoesnotcurrentlyintermediateB2BeCommercetransactions.
B2BCOMMERCESUITEEVALUATIONOVERVIEW
ToassessthestateoftheB2Bcommercesuitemarketandseehowthevendorsstackupagainsteach
other,ForresterevaluatedthestrengthsandweaknessesoftopB2Bcommercesuitevendors.
HowOurEvaluationsOfB2BCommerceSuitesDifferFromB2C
TisisthefrstForresterWavethatwehavepublishedthatfocusesspecifcallyonB2Bcommerce;
however,foryearswehavepublishedForresterWaveevaluationsfocusedonthedirect-to-consumer
market.ManyofourclientsarelookingforsolutionsthatcanmeettheneedsofboththeirB2B
andtheirdirect-to-consumerchannels,inadditiontoemerginghybridchannelslikeB2B2C.We
haveintentionallykeptthemajorityofthecriteriainthisB2BForresterWaveconsistentwiththe
criteriainourB2CForresterWavesothatclientsmayusebothintheirevaluationprocess;however,
wemadeanumberofchangestothecriteria,scoring,andweightingtoensurealignmentwiththe
specifcneedsthatourclientsseekingsolutionsforB2Bchannelshave.Tekeydiferencesinclude:
FOR EBUSINESS & CHANNEL STRATEGY PROFESSIONALS
The Forrester Wave: B2B Commerce Suites, Q4 2013 7
2013, Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited October 7, 2013

A strong weighting on the B2B commerce feature set.Weaddedall-newcriteriatoevaluate

howthesesolutionssolveuniqueB2Bproblems.Addedwerecriteriaforquotes;complex
pricinglists;eProcurement;productconfgurationandcustomization;guidedselling;bulkorder
entry;dealermanagement;andaccount,contract,andbudgetmanagement,tonameafew.We
weightedtheseB2Bcapabilitiestoensurethatonlythosesolutionswithrobustsupportforthese
uniqueB2Bfeatureswouldscorewellinourevaluation.
A strong emphasis on PCM, WCM, and OMS capabilities.Ourclientsregularlytellusthat
theyneedacompletesuiteofback-endtoolstodrivegrowthintheironlineB2Bchannels,not
justfront-endfeatures.Terearethreecorecapabilitiesthattheseclientsseekinadditionto
robusttablestakes(B2C)andB2Bcommercefeatures.Firstisproductinformationmanagement
(PIM)neededtoprovideasinglesystemofrecordandgovernancearoundlargepartlists
andproductcatalogs.Secondiswebcontentmanagement(WCM)neededtomanagelarge
volumesofunstructuredmarketingcontentthataugmentandofencompletelyeclipsethe
transactionalpartofanenterprisewebsite,althoughinsomecasesclientswillpurchaseand
integratewithathird-partybest-of-breedWCMplatform.
10
Tirdisordermanagementsystems
(OMS)requiredtoorchestratethecomplexlifecyclethatB2Bordersgothroughfromquote
toapprovaltosubmissiontomanufacturetodistributionanddelivery.Althoughmanyfrms
usetheirenterpriseresourceplanning(ERP)systemstomanageorderlifecycles,ourclientsare
increasinglymovingthiscapabilityintotheirnewfront-endERPtheirB2Bcommercesuite.
Subtle changes to the criteria for table-stakes commerce features.Asdiscussedearlierinthis
report,ourclientsseekbest-in-classB2CcommercecapabilitiesastablestakesfordoingB2B
commerce.Consequently,manyofthecriteriathatweincludedinForrestersB2Ccommerce
suiteevaluation,suchasmultisitemanagement,supportformobiletouchpoints,androbust
on-sitesearch,arealsoincludedhere.However,thecriteriausedherehavebeentunedtofocus
onspecifcneedsthatenterpriseswithbothB2CandB2Bcommercechannelswillneed:for
example,theavailabilityofmobileorderingtoolsforfeld-basedsalesreps.
OurEvaluationCoversARangeOfSolutionTypesFromLicensedToSaaS
Inthisevaluation,ForresterfocusedontheleadingcommerceplatformsforB2Bonlinesales.
Evaluatedsolutionsincludeavarietyofdeliverymodelsandthevendorsthatofertheirsolutions
acrossthesedeliverymodels,including:
On-premises licensed sofware platforms.Teseapplicationscanbeimplementedandrunin-
housebyinternalITresourcesortheymaybesupportedviavariousoutsourcingmodelsona
clientsbehalf.Typically,theseplatformswilloferthemostfexibilityovertime.Ofen,systems
integrators(SIs)orcommerceservicesproviders(CSPs)implementandsupportthesesolutions.
11
FOR EBUSINESS & CHANNEL STRATEGY PROFESSIONALS
The Forrester Wave: B2B Commerce Suites, Q4 2013 8
2013, Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited October 7, 2013

Hosted/managed or on-demand platforms.Closecousinsoflicensedsofwareapplications,the
vendorsthatoferhosted/managedoron-demandplatformstypicallyimplement,host(inthe
cloud),andrunapplicationsonbehalfofaclient,reducingtheneedforinternalITresourcestoa
bareminimum.SomeofthesevendorsalsooferSaaS-likebusinessmodelsthatallowclientsto
leasethesolutiononanoperatingexpensesbasisratherthanbuyingexpensivelicensesupfront.
12
Sofware-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms.SaaSsolutionsrelyonamulti-instanceapplication,
wheremanyclientsusethesametechnologyandhostingenvironment.Tesesolutionstypically
costlesstorun;oferthebeneftsofshareddevelopment,regularupgrades,andsupport;and
maybeimplementedmoreefcientlyforclients.Tedownside,especiallywhenitcomestoB2B
commerce,includesalackoffexibilityandcontroltointegratewithback-endERP,customer
resourcemanagement(CRM),andmanufacturingsystemsofrecord.
HowTheCriteriaAreOrganized
Aferexaminingpastresearch,userneedassessments,andvendorandexpertinterviews,we
developedacomprehensivesetofevaluationcriteria.Weevaluatedvendorsagainst66criteria,
whichwegroupedintothreehigh-levelbuckets:
Current ofering.Tecriteriaweselectedtoassessthestrengthofcompaniescurrentoferings
areweightedheavilytowardbusinessusertoolsarequirementthatcommerceexecutiveshave
toldusiscriticalasmarketingandmerchandisingtakeafrontseatincommercestrategies.We
evaluatedeachoferingagainst15groupsofcriteria:solutionarchitecture;technologyarchitecture;
multisitemanagement;channelmanagement;multipledevice/touchpointsupport;catalog,
productcontent,andsitecontentmanagement;B2Bcommercefeatures;useradministrationand
accountmanagement;customerservice;ordermanagement;reportingandanalytics;security;
communityandsocialcommerce;globalization/internationalization;andprofessionalservices.
Strategy.Wecomparedthestrategiesofeachcompanywiththeneedsofcommerceexecutives,
industrytrends,andForrestersforward-lookingvisionofthecommercemarkettoassess
howwelleachvendorispositionedforfuturesuccess.Weexaminedeachvendorsroadmap,
plannedB2Benhancements,targetmarketandB2Bfocus,keytechnologypartnersandchannel
strategy,commerceserviceproviders,andcostofownership.
Market presence.ManyB2Bfrmssupporttheircurrentonlinebusinesseswithhome-
growntechnologyorlegacysolutionsnolongersupportedbythevendorcommunity.B2B
eBusinessandITexecutivesmustlookforvendorsthathaveastrongandstableinstalledbase,
demonstratesteadygrowth,andpresentasolidnetworkforpartnersandresellers.Todetermine
thecurrentmarketpresenceforourevaluation,wecombinedinformationabouteachvendors
installedbase,newcustomers,revenue,revenuegrowth,andfnancialresourcestosupporta
statedB2B-focusedproductandmarketstrategy.
FOR EBUSINESS & CHANNEL STRATEGY PROFESSIONALS
The Forrester Wave: B2B Commerce Suites, Q4 2013 9
2013, Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited October 7, 2013

VendorSelectionCriteria
InthisForresterWave,ForresterevaluatedvendorsthatsupportavarietyofB2Bbusinessmodels
includingsupportfordistributors,resellers,partnernetworks,employees,retailstores,anddirect
B2Cchannels.Forresterincludedsevenvendorsintheassessment:commerceserver.net,hybris
(anSAPcompany),IBM,InsiteSofware,Intershop,NetSuite,andOracleCommerce.(Itshould
benotedherethatOracledeclinedtoparticipateinthisevaluationdirectly.)AlthoughmanyB2C
commerceplatformvendorsoferbasicsupportforB2Bsellingchannels,thesesevenvendors
addresscriticalB2B-specifcsellingscenarios.Specifcally,eachofthesevendorshas(seeFigure3):
A product that supports complex B2B selling channels.Beyondsupportingdirect-to-
consumerchannels,productsinthiscategoryofercapabilitiesthatB2Bcompaniessellingto
otherB2Bcompaniesneedsuchasproductconfguration,quotes,andaccountandcontract
managementthatsupportleadgenerationandsalessupportfordistributors,resellers,and
partnerchannels.
A signifcant track record in supporting B2B commerce at large companies.Tiscategory
comprisesvendorsolutionsthatprimarilytargetorganizationswithonlineB2Brevenues
ofmorethan$100millionperyear.Vendorsinthiscategoryfocusonenterprise-class
organizations;scaletoservelargeendcustomeraccounts;supportmultiplesellingchannels
acrossdivisions,brands,andmarkets;andpossessadeepunderstandingoftheneedsoftheir
B2Bclients.
Interest from Forrester clients.Forresterclientsrepeatedlyaskabouttheevaluatedvendors
productswithinthecontextofinquiry,advisory,andconsultingand/orhavetheminstalledas
theprimaryB2Bcommerceengineforsupportingonlineorself-servicesalesacrosstheirB2B
channels.
A minimum of $20 million in annual revenue.Vendorsincludedinthisevaluationhavea
provenproductandgenerateapproximately$20millionormoreinannualrevenue.
Forresterdidnotincludecompaniesinthisassessmentwithaprimaryfocusonotherrelatedmarket
segments,suchas:
B2C-focused solutions with limited B2B commerce capabilities or clients.Vendorssuchas
Demandware,JDASofware,eBayEnterprise,DigitalRiver,MicrosRetail,andMagento,whichare
allidentifedinourForresterWaveforB2Ccommercesuites,donothaveasufcientfocuson,or
capabilitiestosupport,complexB2Bsellingchannels.However,someoftheseclientsdosupport
basicB2Bcommerce,forexamplesupportingemployeeorpartnerstorefrontsfortheirclients.
FOR EBUSINESS & CHANNEL STRATEGY PROFESSIONALS
The Forrester Wave: B2B Commerce Suites, Q4 2013 10
2013, Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited October 7, 2013



Digital- or media-focused solutions.Teseprovidersfocustheirsolutionsonmedia,sofware,
onlinesubscriptions,andothervirtualordigitalgoods.Wehavewrittenseparateresearchon
vendorsthatspecializeintheuniquerequirementsofsellingdigitalgoods.
13
Increasingly,the
vendorsinthiscategory(DigitalRiver,cleverbridge,Avangate,andElasticPathSofware)are
supportingmultiplesellingchannelsfortheirclients,includingB2BandB2B2C.
Midmarket-focused B2B solutions.Forresteralsoidentifedseveralsmallervendorsthat
areservingthisspace,suchasEPiServer,BridgelineDigital,andShopVisible,allofwhichare
startingtogaintractioninB2B.Howeverthesevendorsdonotyethavematureoferingsor
sizableinstalledbases.Todaytheyprimarilyservemidmarketcompaniesordivisionswithin
largercompanies.
Confgure, price, quote (CPQ) or sales force enablement vendors.VendorslikeBigMachines
andCameleonSofwareoferconfgure,price,quote(CPQ)solutionsbutlackactualcapabilities
tosupportonlinesales.Instead,thesetoolsareaftforfrmsthatneedtoequiptheirsalesforce
withrich,feld-basedsellingtoolsthatmanagesalesanalytics,contractmanagement,purchase
orderoptimization,andcompensation.Teremitofthesesolutionsistomakethesalesrepslife
easierandmakehimorherricher,ratherthantosupportdirectchannelsorB2Bcommerce.
FOR EBUSINESS & CHANNEL STRATEGY PROFESSIONALS
The Forrester Wave: B2B Commerce Suites, Q4 2013
2013, Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited October 7, 2013

11
Figure 3EvaluatedVendors:VendorInformationAndSelectionCriteria
Vendor name Product name(s) and version(s) Date evaluated
commerceserver.net
hybris (an SAP company)
IBM
Insite Software
Intershop
Intershop
NetSuite
Oracle Commerce
Commerce Server 10
hybris B2B commerce 5
WebSphere Commerce V7.0 FEP 6; Sterling Confgure,
Price, and Quote V9.2; Sterling Order Management V9.2
InsiteCommerce 3.4
Enfnity Suite 6.4
7.3
SuiteCommerce 2013.1
Oracle Web Commerce 10.2
April 2013
May 2013
May 2013
May 2013
May 2013
May 2013
April 2013
N/A
Vendor selection criteria
The vendors product was generally available at the time of data collection, with at least three references
available for contact.
The vendor has a focused product ofering for, an established customer base in, and an ongoing
commitment to B2B commerce.
The vendor generates at least $20 million in annual eCommerce platform software and services sales, is
proftable, and has at least 50 clients with positive sales momentum.
The vendor demonstrates the ability to support enterprise-class business-to-business online sales of more
than $100 million per year with the product evaluated.
Source: Forrester Research, Inc.
THERESULTS:THEBIGTHREELEADTHEPACK,WITHOTHERSCLOSEBEHIND
Teevaluationuncoveredamarketinwhich(seeFigure4):
IBM, hybris (an SAP company), Oracle Commerce, and Intershop lead the pack.SAPsrecent
acquisitionofhybrisnowfrmlyestablishesthebigthreeenterprisesofwarefrmsasthe
leadersintheB2Bcommercecategory,withIntershopalsomakingthecut.Whatmakesthese
frmsuniqueisthebreadthofthesolutionsetthattheyrespectivelybringtothetable.IBMleads
withrobustB2Bcommerce,ordermanagement,andCPQcapabilitiesbutlacksalignedWCM
andPIMcapabilities.HybrisbringsrobustB2Bcommerce,PIM,andmaturingWCMandorder
managementcapabilitiestothetable,builtfromthegrounduponamodernarchitecturestack;
however,thefeaturesetstilllagsbehindtherobustnessofwhatIBMhastoofer.
FOR EBUSINESS & CHANNEL STRATEGY PROFESSIONALS
The Forrester Wave: B2B Commerce Suites, Q4 2013 12
2013, Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited October 7, 2013


OracleCommerce,ontheotherhand,bringsrobustB2Bcommerce,merchandizing,andWCM
capabilitiestothetablebutlacksalignedPIMandordermanagementcapabilities.Intershop
comestomarketwithamuch-improvedplatformthatiscatchingupwiththemarketleaders;
however,indevelopingthenewplatformaspartofajointrelationshipwithGSICommerce,it
prioritizedB2CfeaturesandcapabilitiesoverB2B.Tisunfortunatelymeansthatsomeofthe
robustB2BfunctionalitythatexistsinIntershopslegacyproduct(EnfnitySuite)hasyettobe
portedtothenewplatform.Forresterrecommendsthatclientsevaluateallfourofthesevendors,
aseachhasuniquestrengthsandweaknesses;however,thedecisionregardingwhichtoselect
maywellcomedowntoyourrequirementsacrossthesecorecomponentsofB2Bcommerce.
Insite Sofware and NetSuite ofer competitive options.Eachofthesevendorsofersunique
B2Bcommercecapabilitiesforclients.InsiteSofwareofersalightweightsolutionthatiswell
suitedasthecommercefrontendtoanexistingenterpriseERPinstallation.Tefrmisseeing
stronggrowthmomentuminthemarketandappealstoB2Bgreenhornsandapprenticesthat
wanttogetrunningquicklywithoutreinventingthewheelorspendingaseven-fguresumon
sofwarelicensing.NetSuitessolutionisuniqueinthatitistheonlymulti-tenantSaaSsolution
evaluatedhereandistheonlysolutionthatwrapscommerce,ERP,andCRMintoasingle
architectureandsolutionset.Teproductis,however,targetedlargelyatmidmarketfrms
enterpriseorganizationswillfndtheoverlapwiththeirexistingERPandCRMinfrastructure
redundantandthereforeanunnecessaryinvestment.
Commerceserver.net lags behind.Commerceserver.netisinthemidstofarebirth,butthese
areearlydaysandthesolutionhasmanygapsthatleaveitfarbehindtheleaders.Firmsthatare
devoted.NETshopsmaystillfndthesolutiondesirableasaframeworktobuildupon;however,
patienceandbeliefintheroadmapwillberequiredcommerceserver.netspathtocatchup
withtherestofthepackwillbeanarduousone.
TisevaluationoftheB2Bcommercesuitemarketisintendedtobeastartingpointonly.We
encourageclientstoviewdetailedproductevaluationsandadaptcriteriaweightingstofttheir
individualneedsthroughtheForresterWaveExcel-basedvendorcomparisontool.Wealso
encourageclientstoreviewtheresearchonothersolutionstypesandsegmentsandtoleveragetheir
inquiryaccesstolearnmorebeforebeginningaselectionprocess.
FOR EBUSINESS & CHANNEL STRATEGY PROFESSIONALS
The Forrester Wave: B2B Commerce Suites, Q4 2013
2013, Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited October 7, 2013


13
Figure 4ForresterWave:B2BCommerceSuites,Q413
Risky Strong
Bets Contenders Performers Leaders
Current
ofering
Strong
Weak
Go online to download
the Forrester Wave tool
for more detailed product
evaluations, feature
comparisons, and
customizable rankings.
Strategy Weak
commerceserver.net
hybris (an SAP company)
IBM
Insite Software
Intershop 7.3
Intershop Enfnity Suite
NetSuite
Oracle Commerce
Market presence
Full vendor participation
Incomplete vendor participation
Market presence
Full vendor participation
Incomplete vendor participation
Strong
Source: Forrester Research, Inc.
FOR EBUSINESS & CHANNEL STRATEGY PROFESSIONALS
The Forrester Wave: B2B Commerce Suites, Q4 2013 14
2013, Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited October 7, 2013














Figure 4ForresterWave:B2BCommerceSuites,Q413(Cont.)
F
o
r
r
e
s
t
e
r

s
W
e
i
g
h
t
i
n
g

c
o
m
m
e
r
c
e
s
e
r
v
e
r
.
n
e
t

h
y
b
r
i
s

(
a
n

S
A
P
c
o
m
p
a
n
y
)

I
B
M
I
n
s
i
t
e
S
o
f
t
w
a
r
e

I
n
t
e
r
s
h
o
p
7
.
3
I
n
t
e
r
s
h
o
p
E
n
f
n
i
t
y

S
u
i
t
e

N
e
t
S
u
i
t
e

CURRENT OFFERING 50% 2.20 4.29 4.57 3.11 3.93 3.88 3.26
Solution architecture 5% 2.55 5.00 4.80 3.65 4.00 3.80 3.00
Technology architecture 5% 3.10 4.70 4.50 3.00 4.30 3.30 3.60
Multisite management 5% 3.00 5.00 5.00 4.00 4.00 4.00 4.00
Channel management 5% 3.00 4.00 5.00 3.00 4.00 4.00 4.00
Multiple device/touchpoint support 5% 2.00 4.00 4.00 3.00 4.00 3.00 3.00
Catalog, product content, and site content management 15% 2.12 4.72 4.30 3.08 4.00 3.85 2.96
B2B commerce features 25% 1.65 4.00 4.55 3.00 3.80 3.95 3.00
User administration and account management 3% 2.45 4.10 5.00 3.10 4.00 4.55 4.00
Customer service 3% 2.50 4.00 4.50 3.00 3.50 4.00 4.50
Order management 15% 2.09 4.15 4.64 3.08 3.66 3.93 3.08
Reporting and analytics 2% 2.20 4.00 4.65 2.60 4.00 3.35 3.60
Security 2% 1.00 5.00 5.00 4.00 5.00 5.00 4.00
Community and social commerce 2% 2.00 3.00 4.00 2.00 4.00 4.00 3.00
Globalization/internationalization 4% 2.70 4.85 4.85 2.85 4.45 4.45 4.00
Professional services 4% 2.90 3.80 4.45 3.35 3.90 3.45 2.45
STRATEGY 50% 2.15 4.35 4.50 3.45 3.30 2.15 2.85
Product road map 25% 2.00 4.00 4.00 4.00 4.00 2.00 3.00
Planned B2B enhancements (next 24 months) 25% 2.00 4.00 4.00 3.00 3.00 1.00 3.00
Target market and B2B focus 20% 2.00 5.00 5.00 4.00 4.00 4.00 3.00
Key technology partners and channel strategy 15% 2.00 4.00 5.00 3.00 2.00 2.00 3.00
Commerce service providers 15% 3.00 5.00 5.00 3.00 3.00 2.00 2.00
Cost of ownership 0% 5.00 1.00 1.00 4.00 3.00 3.00 5.00
MARKET PRESENCE 0% 2.30 3.70 4.00 2.90 2.15 2.35 2.90
Installed base for this version of the product 30% 3.00 3.00 4.00 3.00 1.00 3.00 3.00
New customers (past 12 months) 20% 2.00 4.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 1.00 2.00
Revenue 25% 2.00 3.00 5.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00
Revenue growth 15% 2.00 5.00 3.00 4.00 3.00 3.00 4.00
Financial resources 10% 2.00 5.00 5.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 5.00
All scores are based on a scale of 0 (weak) to 5 (strong).
Source: Forrester Research, Inc.
FOR EBUSINESS & CHANNEL STRATEGY PROFESSIONALS
The Forrester Wave: B2B Commerce Suites, Q4 2013 15
2013, Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited October 7, 2013

VENDORPROFILES
Leaders
IBM.ForB2Bcommerce,IBMcomestomarketwiththreecoreproducts:Websphere
Commerce,SterlingCPQ,andSterlingOrderManagement.Togethertheseproductsrepresent
aformidablesolutionthatisproveninthemarkettoservecomplex,globalB2Bcommerce
requirements.TroughtheacquisitionofSterlingaswellasitsownglobalbusinessservices
(GBS)group,IBMpossessesadeepunderstandingoftheneedsofitsB2Bclientsandthis
iswelldemonstratedinthestrengthofitssolutionset.Furthermore,IBMiswellpoisedto
augmenttheB2Bcapabilitiesofitssolutionwithbest-of-breedmarketing,analytics,and
businessintelligence(BI)viaintegrationswithCoremetrics,Tealeaf,andUnica.
Prospectsshouldnotethatthisisnot(yet)asinglesolutionandthusthethreecomponentsare
stillpricedandsoldseparatelyinfact,veryfewcustomerspurchaseallthreeproducts.Tose
whodochooseIBMwillalmostcertainlyrequireaskilledIBMimplementationpartnerlike
GBS,Rosetta,orDeloitte.Tesepartnersdonotcomecheap,andalthoughthesolutionitselfis
nowoferedbothason-premisesandon-demand(IBMCommerceontheCloud),allowing
customerstoshiffromacapitalexpenditure(capex)toanoperatingexpenditure(opex)
ownershipmodel,challengesstillremainaroundtotalcostofownership.Furthermore,thethree
coreproductsthatmakeuptheB2Bsuiteareessentiallystillseparateproducts,withdiferent
businessusertools.TisaddstothecomplexityofowningIBMasendusersmusttrainonand
operatediferenttoolsetstomanagetheirend-to-endB2Bsiteexperience.Customerswespoke
tostatedthatsupportfromIBMwasexcellent.
Hybris (an SAP company).Customersareattractedtohybrisforfourkeyreasons:1)themodern
Java-basedarchitecture;2)theembeddedenterpriseproductcontentmanagement(PCM)
capabilities;3)theembeddedandrapidlymaturingordermanagementcapabilities;and4)the
fexibilityoftheFramework.Yes,manyofthecustomerswespoketodescribedhybrisasa
framework,ratherthanacompleteout-of-the-boxsolution.Whilenoteveryfeaturemaybefully
bakedoutofthebox,hybrismodern,service-orientatedarchitecturemakesiteasyfordevelopers
toextendandcustomizethesolutiontocatertouniqueB2Brequirementsandprocessworkfows.
Asananalogy,theplumbingkitisprovided,butmaynotbefullyinstalledoroperational.
AlthoughthearchitectureoftheproductbeneftsfromsolidGermanengineering,some
customersalsoreportedthattheupgradeprocesswasnotassimpleastheyhadhoped.ForB2B
customers,hybrisshipswithaB2Bacceleratorthinkofthisasareferencesitewheresome
oftheplumbinghasbeenpre-assembledbasedoncommonlyunderstoodusagescenarios.
Also,likeIBM,hybrisalsonowofersanon-demandmodelforcustomersthatprefertolease
ratherthanownthesolutionoutright.InAugust2013,SAPformallycompletedtheacquisition
ofhybris.Unlikeprioracquisitions,SAPoptedtoleavehybrisasanindependententitya
smartmovefromForrestersperspective.
14
Withtheacquisitionnowintherearviewmirror,
FOR EBUSINESS & CHANNEL STRATEGY PROFESSIONALS
The Forrester Wave: B2B Commerce Suites, Q4 2013 16
2013, Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited October 7, 2013


SAPannouncedthatinvestmentinitsformercommerceofering,WebChannelExperience
Management(WCEM),willcease,clearingthewaytomakehybristhestrategicandonly
commerceoferingfromSAP.
15
Oracle Commerce.Forthepasttwoyears,Oraclehasbeeninintegrationmode,pulling
togethermajoracquisitions(ATG,Endeca,andFatWire)underasingleumbrella,Oracle
Commerce.AmalgamatingtheseproductshasbeenfarfromeasyforOracleandthejourneyis
bynomeanscomplete,butOraclesefortsarenowbeginningtobearfruit.ATGhasalwayshad
strongB2BcommercecapabilitiesandOraclecertainlyhasanexhaustivelistofB2Bcustomers
usingthesolution.MissingfromtheOracleCommercesuite,however,arerobustorder
managementandPIMcapabilities.Infact,manycustomersthatchoosetoimplementOracle
commerceendupworkingwiththeircommerceserviceprovidertointegratethird-partyorder
managementandPIMsolutions.
AlthoughtheOraclesalesforcewillcommonlyrecommendthecompanysProductHub/Fusion
PIM,FusionDistributedOrderOrchestration(DOO),Siebel,andeBusinessERPtoolsto
plugthesegaps,thefactremainsthatthesesolutionsdonotintegrateeasily,haveoverlapping
functionalitywiththecommercesuite,anddontalwaysrepresentbest-of-breedOMSorPIM
capabilities.Ontheplusside,Oraclehasadiferentiateddigitalexperiencecapabilitywiththe
consolidationoftheEndecaandATGproducts.Furthermore,Oraclehasauniqueopportunity
inthemarkettoleadtheconvergenceofcommerceandcontentmanagementwiththe
amalgamationofOracleCommercewithWebCenterSites(formallyFatWire),althoughthis
partisaworkinprogress.NotethatOracledidnotparticipateintheresearchforthisreport,
soForresterbaseditsfndingsonpastbriefngs,productsdemos,andcustomerreference
interviews.
Intershop.IntershopsubmittedtwoproductsforevaluationinthisForresterWaveprocess:its
newplatform(Intershop7)anditslegacyplatform(EnfnitySuite6.4).Forclientsconsidering
Intershop,7representsthestrategicchoice;however,theprocessofmigratingalloftherichB2B
functionalitythatexistedinthepriorversionisnotyet100%complete(thenear-term18-month
roadmapisfocusedoncompletingthismigration).TefrmhasrecentlyinstalledanewCEO
andseniormanagementteamandisaggressivelypursuingnewcommerceserviceprovider
partnerships,especiallyintheNorthAmericanmarket,wherethefrmhashistoricallystruggled
togainmarketshare.IntershopsexpertiseinsupportingcomplexB2Bcommercescenarios,
B2B-focusedroadmap,andadvancementswiththe7platformedgeitintotheLeaderscategory
forB2B,althoughthisachievementrepresentsonlythebeginninginanongoingevolutionthat
mustoccurtotrulycementIntershopasaviablealternativetothebigthree.
FOR EBUSINESS & CHANNEL STRATEGY PROFESSIONALS
The Forrester Wave: B2B Commerce Suites, Q4 2013 17
2013, Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited October 7, 2013

StrongPerformers
Insite Sofware.InsiteSofwarehasauniquepositioninthemarket,inthatitissolelyfocused
onB2BeCommerce.TisalonepushesitsmarketpresencescoreintheForresterWaveup
tomatchmuchbiggerplayersfocusisalwaysagoodthing.Althoughrelativelysmall,the
companyisrapidlymaturing,withrecentcapitalinvestmentandanewCEOnowatthehelm.
Furthermore,Insitehasanimpressivecustomerinstallbaseandhasbeenrecentlycompeting
withand,insomecases,winningdealsagainstlargercompetitors.Tesolutionis.NET-based,
whichisawelcomediferentiatorfromthisJava-dominatedspace,andcanbedeployedinboth
hostedandon-premisesmodels.
AlthoughtheplatformprovidesacomprehensivesuiteofB2Bfeaturesandtoolsrightoutofthe
box,thephilosophyofthefrmisnottoreinventthewheel.InsiteassumesthatitsB2Bcustomer
basealreadyownsandoperatesenterpriseERPandCRMsolutions,andconsequentlysomeof
thefunctionalityhasdependenciesonback-endsystems.ItmayhelptothinkofInsiteasthe
frontendoftheERP.ForcustomerswithanexistingERP/CRMbackend,Insitecanmakealot
ofsenseitsbothinexpensivetoownandcanbequicktodeploy.Withoutadoubt,Insiteis
acrediblecontenderontheForresterWaveandaviablealternativetothebigthree,although
customersdidexpressconcernsaboutInsitesabilitytoscaleitsprofessionalservices.Tefrm
isactivelyseekingtoaddresstheseissuesbybuildingoutstrategicpartnershipswithcommerce
serviceproviders.
NetSuite.AlthoughitiswellknownforitsmidmarketCRMandERPsolutions,NetSuitespush
intotheeCommercemarkethasonlygainedmomentuminthepastcoupleofyears.Itsproduct,
SuiteCommerce,targetsbothB2CandB2Bcustomersandissoldaspartofanintegrated
businessmanagementsofwaresuitethatincludeseCommerce,ERP,andCRM.Tefactthat
thisisanintegratedproductsuitemeansthatthereisnorealdiferentiationofcommerce
featuresversusERPfeatures.Customerswhowishtoleveragetheentiresolutionanduse
NetSuitefortheirenterpriseERPandCRMneedswillfndaneatlyarchitectedsolutionwhere
catalog,pricing,andordermanagementaresinglesystemsofrecord;however,customerswho
alreadyhaveexistinginvestmentswiththird-partyenterpriseERPorCRMsolutionsmayfnd
thattheduplicationofcapabilitiesbetweenSuiteCommerceandtheseexistingsystemscreates
integrationchallenges.
Formidmarketclients,theabilitytohaveERP,CRMandeCommerceallunderasingleumbrella
andinthecloudmaybeappealing,althoughclientsreportedthatcustomizationscanbedifcult,
despitefexibleconfgurationoptions.PricingisveryattractiveandwillappealtoSMBfrmsthat
areintheearlydaysoflaunchingB2Bcommerceandneedtodosoquicklyandafordably.
FOR EBUSINESS & CHANNEL STRATEGY PROFESSIONALS
The Forrester Wave: B2B Commerce Suites, Q4 2013 18
2013, Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited October 7, 2013



Contenders
Commerceserver.net.AferbeingdivestedbyMicrosofin2011,therightstofurtherdevelop
andsellthecommerceserver.netproductweregiventoSeattle-basedsystemintegrationfrm
Ascentium(whichsincemergedwithOttawa-basedSICactusCommerceandthenrebranded
asSMITH).Commerceserver.netisfnallymovingforwardagainaferyearsofdormant
productdevelopmentunderRedmondscommand.
16
CS.NEThasahugeB2Binstalledbase,
althoughthemajorityofitsclientsareusinglegacyversionsoftheproduct.Tosethatupgrade
tothecurrentversion(CommerceServer10)willbeneftfromanarchitecturethatisnow
decoupledfromSharePoint(enablingintegrationwithother.NET-basedWCMsolutionssuch
asSitecore),acleaneduparchitecture,andaroadmapthatfnallystartstoaddresssomeofthe
shortcomingsinthebusinessusertools.
Despitetheprogress,however,CS.NETstillhasmajorweaknessesintheareasoforder
management,B2B-specifcfeatures,contentmanagement,andbusinessusertools.However,
fororganizationsthataredevoted.NETshopslookingforacommerceframeworkthatcan
beintegratedandaugmentedwithother.NET-basedsolutionslikeBizTalk,SharePoint,MS
Dynamics,orSitecore,CS.NETmaythebest(andonly)ft.TeCS.NETteammustfndawayto
movetheplatformforwardatthevelocityrequiredtocatchupwiththerestofpack.
SUPPLEMENTALMATERIAL
OnlineResource
TeonlineversionofFigure4isanExcel-basedvendorcomparisontoolthatprovidesdetailed
productevaluationsandcustomizablerankings.
DataSourcesUsedInThisForresterWave
Forresterusedacombinationoffourdatasourcestoassessthestrengthsandweaknessesofeach
solution:
Hands-on lab evaluations.Vendorsspentonedaywithateamofanalystswhoperformeda
hands-onevaluationoftheproductusingascenario-basedtestingmethodology.Weevaluated
eachproductusingthesamescenario(s),creatingalevelplayingfeldbyevaluatingevery
productonthesamecriteria.
Vendor surveys.Forrestersurveyedvendorsontheircapabilitiesastheyrelatetotheevaluation
criteria.Onceweanalyzedthecompletedvendorsurveys,weconductedvendorcallswhere
necessarytogatherdetailsofvendorqualifcations.
FOR EBUSINESS & CHANNEL STRATEGY PROFESSIONALS
The Forrester Wave: B2B Commerce Suites, Q4 2013 19
2013, Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited October 7, 2013

Product demos.Weaskedvendorstoconductdemonstrationsoftheirproductsfunctionality.We
usedfndingsfromtheseproductdemostovalidatedetailsofeachvendorsproductcapabilities.
Customer reference calls.Tovalidateproductandvendorqualifcations,Forresteralso
conductedreferencecallswithcurrentcustomersfromeachvendor.
TheForresterWaveMethodology
Weconductprimaryresearchtodevelopalistofvendorsthatmeetourcriteriatobeevaluated
inthismarket.Fromthatinitialpoolofvendors,wethennarrowourfnallist.Wechoosethese
vendorsbasedon:1)productft;2)customersuccess;and3)Forresterclientdemand.Weeliminate
vendorsthathavelimitedcustomerreferencesandproductsthatdontftthescopeofourevaluation.
Aferexaminingpastresearch,userneedassessments,andvendorandexpertinterviews,wedevelop
theinitialevaluationcriteria.Toevaluatethevendorsandtheirproductsagainstoursetofcriteria,we
gatherdetailsofproductqualifcationsthroughacombinationoflabevaluations,questionnaires,
demos,and/ordiscussionswithclientreferences.Wesendevaluationstothevendorsfortheirreview,
andweadjusttheevaluationstoprovidethemostaccurateviewofvendoroferingsandstrategies.
Wesetdefaultweightingstorefectouranalysisoftheneedsoflargeusercompaniesand/or
otherscenariosasoutlinedintheForresterWavedocumentandthenscorethevendorsbased
onaclearlydefnedscale.Tesedefaultweightingsareintendedonlyasastartingpoint,andwe
encouragereaderstoadapttheweightingstofttheirindividualneedsthroughtheExcel-based
tool.Tefnalscoresgeneratethegraphicaldepictionofthemarketbasedoncurrentofering,
strategy,andmarketpresence.Forresterintendstoupdatevendorevaluationsregularlyasproduct
capabilitiesandvendorstrategiesevolve.Formoreinformationonthemethodologythatevery
ForresterWavefollows,gotohttp://www.forrester.com/marketing/policies/forrester-wave-
methodology.html.
IntegrityPolicy
AllofForrestersresearch,includingForresterWaves,isconductedaccordingtoourIntegrityPolicy.
Formoreinformation,gotohttp://www.forrester.com/marketing/policies/integrity-policy.html.
ENDNOTES
Te4%ruleisbasedonForrestersexperienceworkingwithonlineretailers,manyofwhichare
multichannelretailers.Essentially,Forresterseestechnologycostsstabilizingatapproximately4%of
revenueasbusinessesmature.Lessmaturesites,pure-plays,orthoseseekingtodiferentiatehighlythrough
featuresandtechnologywillrunabove4%.Businessesinvestinglessthan4%arelikelytobeoperatingat
signifcantscaleorareunderinvestingintheirtechnologycapability.
1
FOR EBUSINESS & CHANNEL STRATEGY PROFESSIONALS
The Forrester Wave: B2B Commerce Suites, Q4 2013 20
2013, Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited October 7, 2013

2
Whilethefullsampleisavailable,thisdatapointaccountsforonlyB2Brespondents.Source:Q12013
GlobalB2BeCommercePortalOnlineSurvey.
3
CiscoforecastsmobilebusinessInternettrafcandmakesthedataavailableondemandviaaweb-based
tool.Source:CiscoVNIForecastWidget,May2012(http://ciscovni.com/forecast-widget/index.html).
4
FormoreinformationaboutSAPsroadmapforhybrispost-acquisitionclosure,readthefollowingblog
post:`SAPClosesItsAcquisitionOfHybrisAQuickUpdate,PeterSheldonsBlog,August1,2013
(http://blogs.forrester.com/peter_sheldon/13-08-01-sap_closes_its_acquisition_of_hybris_a_quick_update).
5
FormoreinformationaboutOraclesacquisitionofATG,Endeca,andFatWire,readthefollowingblog
posts:OracleToAcquireATG:SomeToughts,BrianWalkersBlog,November2,2010(http://blogs.
forrester.com/brian_walker/10-11-02-oracle_to_acquire_atg_some_thoughts);OracleBuysEndeca:What
ItMeansBrianWalkersBlog,October18,2011(http://blogs.forrester.com/brian_walker/11-10-18-oracle_
buys_endeca_what_it_means);andOracleAcquiresAnotherPierceofTeCXMPuzzleWithFatWire,
StephenPowersBlog,June22,2011(http://blogs.forrester.com/stephen_powers/11-06-22-oracle_acquires_
another_piece_of_the_cxm_puzzle_with_fatwire).
6
AccenturewillacquireChicago-basedAcquityGroupforabout$316million,or$6.50perAcquity
share,subjecttotheapprovalofAcquityshareholders.AcquityGroups600-plusemployeesareexpected
tojoinAccentureInteractive.Source:AccenturetoacquireAcquityGroupfor$316million,Crains
ChicagoBusiness,May17,2013(http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130517/NEWS06/130519782/
accenture-to-acquire-acquity-group-for-316-million).
7
SAP/hybrisandAccenture/AcquityannouncedinAugust2013thattheyarejoiningforcestoforman
exclusiveglobalstrategicpartnershipaimedatdeliveringonlineandmultichannelcommerce.Source:
AccentureandhybrisTeamtoImplementMultichannelCommerceSolutionsforGlobalEnterprises,
Accenturepressrelease,Accenture,August5,2013(http://newsroom.accenture.com/news/accenture-and-
hybris-team-to-implement-multichannel-commerce-solutions-for-global-enterprises.htm).
8
FordetailsaboutGooglessearchmarketshareintheB2CandB2Bspaces,respectively,pleaseconsult
thefollowing:comScoreReleasesAugust2013U.S.SearchEngineRankings,comScorepressrelease.
September11,2013(http://www.comscore.com/Insights/Press_Releases/2013/9/comScore_Releases_
August_2013_U.S._Search_Engine_Rankings);andJenniferWong,Optify2012B2BMarketing
BenchmarkReport:GoogleDominatestheB2BSearchMarketandTwitterOutperformsFacebook,Optify
pressrelease,January23,2013(http://www.optify.net/press-releases/optify-benchmark-report-google-
dominates-the-b2b-search-market-and-twitter-outperforms-facebook).
9
GoogleannounceditslaunchofB2B-centricGoogleShoppingforSuppliers.Source:AmirEfrati,Google
CopiesAmazonsPlaybook.TeWallStreetJournal,May23,2013(http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100014
24127887324582004578456891589342994.html).
10
Formoreinformationonleadingwebcontentmanagementsystems,seetheApril8,2013,TheForrester
Wave:WebContentManagementForDigitalCustomerExperience,Q22013report.
FOR EBUSINESS & CHANNEL STRATEGY PROFESSIONALS
The Forrester Wave: B2B Commerce Suites, Q4 2013 21
2013, Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited October 7, 2013

11
Formoreinformationonsystemsintegratorsandcommerceservicesproviders,seetheFebruary24,2012,
TheForresterWave:GlobalCommerceServiceProviders,Q12012reportandseetheFebruary9,2012,
HowToSelectACommerceServicesProviderreport.
12
Formoreinformationonhosted/managedandon-demandbusinessmodels,seetheJuly25,2013,
CommerceTechnologyInvestmentAndPlatformTrends2013report.
13
Formoreondigitalcommercesolutions,seetheDecember2,2011,MarketOverview:DigitalCommerce
Solutions2011report.
14
FormoreinformationabouttheacquisitionofhybrisbySAP,readthefollowingblogpost:SAPToAcquire
HybrisWhatDoesItMean?PeterSheldonsBlog,June5,2013(http://blogs.forrester.com/peter_
sheldon/13-06-05-sap_to_acquire_hybris_what_does_it_mean).
15
FormoreinformationaboutSAPsroadmapforhybrispost-acquisitionclosure,readthefollowingblog
post:PeterSheldon,SAPClosesItsAcquisitionOfHybrisAQuickUpdate,PeterSheldonsBlog,
August1,2013(http://blogs.forrester.com/peter_sheldon/13-08-01-sap_closes_its_acquisition_of_hybris_a_
quick_update).
16
FormoreinformationabouttherebrandingofAscentiumtoSmithandtherelationshipbetween
commerceserver.netanditsparentcompany,readthefollowingblogpost:CommerceServer,Cactus
Commerce&AscentiumTePathForward,PeterSheldonsBlog,November30,2012(http://blogs.
forrester.com/peter_sheldon/12-11-30-commerce_server_cactus_commerce_ascentium_the_path_
forward_0).

Forrester Research, Inc. (Nasdaq: FORR) is an independent research company that provides pragmatic and forward-thinking advice to
global leaders in business and technology. Forrester works with professionals in 13 key roles at major companies providing proprietary
research, customer insight, consulting, events, and peer-to-peer executive programs. For more than 29 years, Forrester has been making
IT, marketing, and technology industry leaders successful every day. For more information, visit www.forrester.com. 90821

Forrester Focuses On
eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals
Responsibleforbuildingamultichannelsalesandservicestrategy,
youmustoptimizehowpeople,processes,andtechnologyadapt
acrossarapidlyevolvingsetofcustomertouchpoints.Forrester
helpsyoucreateforward-thinkingstrategiestojustifydecisionsand
optimizeyourindividual,team,andcorporateperformance.
ERIC CHANG, client persona representing eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals
About Forrester
GlobalmarketingandstrategyleadersturntoForrestertohelp
themmakethetoughdecisionsnecessarytocapitalizeonshifts
inmarketing,technology,andconsumerbehavior.Weensureyour
successbyproviding:
n Data-driveninsighttounderstandtheimpactofchanging
consumerbehavior.
n Forward-lookingresearchandanalysistoguideyourdecisions.
n Objectiveadviceontoolsandtechnologiestoconnectyouwith
customers.
n Bestpracticesformarketingandcross-channelstrategy.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
TofndouthowForresterResearchcanhelpyoubesuccessfuleveryday,please
contacttheofcenearestyou,orvisitusatwww.forrester.com.Foracompletelist
ofworldwidelocations,visitwww.forrester.com/about.
CLIENT SUPPORT
Forinformationonhard-copyorelectronicreprints,pleasecontactClientSupport
at+1866.367.7378,+1617.613.5730,orclientsupport@forrester.com.Weofer
quantitydiscountsandspecialpricingforacademicandnonproftinstitutions.